Literature as a whole is significant because it allows you to experience different cultures and environments, that you otherwise may not be able to ever experience. I think that's why its so important to never judge a book by its cover. The words inside are what really matters, and if you judge it before reading, you may miss out on a learning experience or enjoyable experience. For example, two of my novels PERFECT CHEMISTRY and THE FREEDOM WRITERS DIARY, each show an insightful perspective from not only gang members, but poor kids, and the effects of racism, gang violence, and drugs on a community. In PERFECT CHEMISTRY, Alex Fuentes is a perfect example of a Latino in a well-known gang Latino Blood. Most people would assume that a gang member chooses his/her lifestyle because it's what he/she wants or cause it's fun to them. In reading this novel, i experienced the hardships that Alex and his family were put through and how the reason he entered the gang was to protect his family. Most people would also assume that a gang member can't be a good person AND a gang member at the same time. This novel goes to show that some gang members actually are great people who just sacrifice alot to protect their loved ones. Also, in alot of cases, a gang member cannot quit his/her gang- it becomes his/her life. If a gang member decides he/she wants to quit they have to face a test- surving being beaten to death by all of the gang members. So that being said, even though i didn't personally experience it, i did in a way experience alot of this tragedy which is real life to alot of people just by reading these novels.
An example of experimenting, i think was me going to see "A Midsummer Night's Dream", because i had never seen a play before and to be honest, didn't really have any plans on ever seeing one. But thanks to Stephanie for forcing us to experiment with new things, i developed a sense of appreciation for the art of acting and the literature behind it. They say that you need to become a better reader to become a better writer and i think by experimenting with flash fiction, drama, and poetry, i have definitely been taken out of my comfort zone and gained (or found) more creativity within me. I also learned a few interesting things about literature/poetry in general. I learned that some poems may not necessarily have one significant meaning. Some may be very powerful, some may be able to be interpreted in many different ways, and some may be just as simple as a fortune cookie poem. Also that many short stories and flash fiction have no real purpose, some are just written for fun.
I think the awesome part of the literature and poetry that we have read in class this half-semester is that so much of it can be interpreted in different ways. Someone may tie it in with personal experience because they can relate to it, while another person may view it as a metaphor or something completely different. Alot of writers will use certain words in a different context than you would be used to. This is a really poor example but still similar- you can use the word FOR as in (i bought i gift FOR you) or (in the place of because- i love you FOR i have never felt like this before) Overall, this class has expanded my knowledge of literature and actually made me quite a bit more interested in it.
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"They say that you need to become a better reader to become a better writer..."
ReplyDeletevery true. I think it goes both ways, too. I once was told that one never fully understands a subject until he writes about it, and i've found a lot of truth to that statement. You really have to organize your thoughts to present them to any kind of audience, whether it's formal or informal. That being said, it's easy to see why so many people have such an appreciation for all types of literature. Putting your thoughts into writing, for other people to see, is taking a risk. And we all admire risk-takers :)
I believe that a person needs to read to better understand different cultures and different generations. As readers we can exsperience past generations through what we learn by reading. If it is ever possible to travel back in time, then the need for reading will be signifigately reduced. But untill that time reading will always be a major nesesaty of our lives.
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